Halennor
gHalennor is a country in the north of Tirónar. It is run by the Grump Council. Geography Major Regions The entire country is a single semi-forested region, with thick clusters of trees growing between patches of rocky mountain soil. The lack of fertile land initially prompted settlers to cut down wide swaths of these forests to expose the better soil within for agriculture, but without the tree roots holding the land in place, erosion ruined those fields as well. The logs were carefully preserved by Waldren for future building projects that never happened and are now exported for other necessary goods. The remaining forests are mostly left alone. The cold waters of the ocean to the north are teeming with fish and aquaculture. Amidst the rocky slopes of the mountains, ancient ruins and relics lay exposed after centuries of erosion. Climate Temperate maritime climate, with consistent precipitation throughout the year, mild summers, and dark, cold winters. Comparable to the climate of the Netherlands or the northern United Kingdom. Administration Government Halennor is ruled by a council of leaders known as “The Grump Council” or just “The Grumps.” The name was chosen soon after the region’s secession from Waldren. This council of fledgling leaders would often argue back and forth between each other as they navigated the ins and outs of running a country, earning them this nickname from the citizen population. The council, now finding their stride and realizing that healthy (if intense) debate is actually a great way to run a country, embraced this reputation and officially naming themselves “The Grump Council.” This council makes policy by debating all of the possible courses of action, agrees upon one, and then reconvenes to discuss the efficacy of this plan and whether it needs to be changed. Once a plan is agreed upon, a single chosen member of the council will coordinate the actual implementation of the policy among local governments. This prevents any differences of opinion within the council from undermining the efficacy of the policy itself. Once chosen, each policy must be given a fair chance at success; otherwise, this would be an incredibly dysfunctional government. This administrative style does have a catch; once implemented, local governments can and will adapt these policies to better fit their specific circumstances… which can be both good and bad, depending on the situation. Military There is very little military regulations or organization in Halennor. Local militias are organized at a grassroots level in case of an emergency, but Halennor faces very few threats beyond the old magic and mother nature herself. Education The education is fairly unregulated for the administrative reasons listed above, but teaching understanding, respect, and wariness towards the old magic is almost universal. It's almost as if you could hurt yourself if you didn't understand the ancient relic you were messing around with. Culture Sentient Species While Stone Walkers can be encountered in nearly any mountainous region, they can only tread on exposed rock, and are rarely seen in the lower elevation areas where civilization can be found. However, Halennor suffers from so much erosion, the rocky soil of the mountains actually extends far enough for local stone walkers to visit and even live among the southern portions of the population. Language They speak the common tongue. Cultural Highlights Very focused on the remains of the past and their origins. The region is an archaeologist’s dream come true, with constant erosion uncovering new ruins and relics each day. These relics are treated with… well, not exactly reverence, but some level of respect. The people attempt to reincorporate these items into their culture and daily lives, with mixed results. Some will adapt surprisingly well, despite their age. Others are completely inscrutable, or worse, break entirely. Most catastrophic of all, some will cause outright damage to persons or property in its vicinity. For some reason, this seems to be the most entertaining outcome for the people of Halennor, who never turn down at an opportunity to argue or complain loudly and dramatically at problems of their own creation. The entire culture revolves around these relics and the questions “what if,” “why not,” and “what’s the worst that could happen.” To be honest, no one really understands how the entire region hasn’t self-destructed yet. Perspective on Magic Halennor's perspective on magic is very similar to its perspective on the relics described above. Many of these relics are enchanted or carry magical properties in some way. These magical effects are dubbed “the old magic,” because not only are they ancient, but many of them defy the known laws of magic in ways we don’t entirely understand. Thankfully, the age of these relics makes their spell effects very weak; most discharge a single spell when first touched that uses all of the magic within and then function as any other non-magical relic. Since the people of Halennor don’t treat the old magic differently than mundane relics in any way… well, things get interesting from time to time. Ordinary spell-based magic is viewed in a similar manner, with magical education often consisting of the phrase, “hold my beer,” uttered by both student and teacher alike. Complete with mandatory complaining and arguing about the effects afterward. Food Source Aquaculture, imports from other nations, and hunting/scavenging if necessary are all food sources in Halennor. This is not good land for agriculture. Foreign Relations Major Export Halennor exports lumber, whale oil, and various minerals. Known Allies Halennor is allied with Duilintinn, Haneul, and Leyfel. Public Opinion The public has a generally positive opinion on Halennor, though some criticize the council's inability to uphold all of the policies they've enacted over the years. Category:Other Locations